Oscar-winning composer Elliot Goldenthal is set to receive the Founders Award at The American Society Of Composers, Authors And Publishers' (ASCAP) 30th Film & Television Music Awards. The musician, who has composed for films including Public Enemies, Batman Forever and Alien 3, will be feted with the prestigious honour at the annual ceremony in the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on 9 March (15).
ASCAP president and chairman Paul Williams says, "Elliot's staggering body of work has earned him admiration from film, classical music and theater audiences. His distinctive style has created engrossing moments for listeners across all of these mediums."
Goldenthal won both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for his work on Julie Taymor's 2002 movie Frida, starring Salma Hayek.
The Founders Award recognises songwriters and composers who have achieved outstanding contributions to music that have inspired their peers. Previous recipients include Quincy Jones, Stephen Sondheim and Dr. Dre.

Sam Smith was the toast of the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday (08Feb15), walking away with four of the six honors he was nominated for, including the coveted Record of the Year.
The British soul sensation kicked off his celebrations early after claiming the very first award of the televised show for Best New Artist. He soon followed it up with the Best Pop Vocal Album for In The Lonely Hour, and was back onstage towards the end of the Los Angeles ceremony to wrap up his big night with wins for Song of the Year and Record of the Year for Stay With Me.
Taking to the stage for the fourth time, Smith poked fun at the ex-boyfriend who inspired the album, saying, "This is the best night of my life. I wanna thank the man who this record is about... Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys!"
Fellow six-time nominees Beyonce and Pharrell Williams each went home as triple winners, while Beck landed Best Rock Album and Album of the Year for Morning Phase - and almost had Kanye West repeat his infamous stage invasion at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, when he interrupted Taylor Swift to defend his pal Beyonce's honor. This time, the rapper approached Beck as he collected the Album of the Year accolade, which Beyonce was also nominated for, and pretended to head towards the mic, before laughing and returning to his seat in the front row - much to everyone's amusement.
AC/DC got the Grammy Awards off to a rocking start with a hits medley, while Madonna dazzled the Staples Center audience in a red and black matador costume to sing her new release Living For Love, and Rihanna, Kanye West and Sir Paul McCartney staged the first ever performance of their new collaboration, FourFiveSeconds.
Other performance highlights at the event, hosted by LL Cool J, came from Ed Sheeran and Electric Light Orchestra frontman Jeff Lynne; Katy Perry, who honored victims of domestic violence with a powerful rendition of By The Grace of God; Sam Smith and Mary J. Blige's soulful collaboration on Stay With Me, and Pharrell Williams, who gave his Happy tune a gospel makeover, complete with Hans Zimmer on guitar and Lang Lang on piano.
The full list of winners at the 2015 Grammy Awards is:
Record Of The Year - Stay With Me (Darkchild Version) by Sam Smith
Album Of The Year - Morning Phase by Beck
Song Of The Year - Stay With Me (Darkchild Version) by Sam Smith
Best New Artist - Sam Smith
Best Pop Solo Performance - Happy by Pharrell Williams
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance - Say Something by A Great Big World With Christina Aguilera
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album - Cheek To Cheek by Tony Bennett &amp; Lady Gaga
Best Pop Vocal Album - In The Lonely Hour by Sam Smith
Best Dance Recording - Rather Be by Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne
Best Dance/Electronic Album - Syro by Aphex Twin
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album - Bass &amp; Mandolin by Chris Thile &amp; Edgar Meyer
Best Rock Performance - Lazaretto by Jack White
Best Metal Performance - The Last In Line by Tenacious D
Best Rock Song - Ain't It Fun by Paramore
Best Rock Album - Morning Phase by Beck
Best Alternative Music Album - St. Vincent by St. Vincent
Best R&amp;B Performance - Drunk In Love by Beyonce featuring Jay Z
Best Traditional R&amp;B Performance - Jesus Children by Robert Glasper Experiment featuring Lalah Hathaway &amp; Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Best R&amp;B Song - Drunk In Love by Beyonce featuring Jay Z
Best Urban Contemporary Album - Girl by Pharrell Williams
Best R&amp;B Album - Love, Marriage &amp; Divorce by Toni Braxton &amp; Babyface
Best Rap Performance - I by Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration - The Monster by Eminem featuring Rihanna
Best Rap Song - I by Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap Album - The Marshall Mathers LP2 by Eminem
Best Country Solo Performance - Something In The Water by Carrie Underwood
Best Country Duo/Group Performance - Gentle On My Mind by The Band Perry
Best Country Song - I'm Not Gonna Miss You by Glen Campbell
Best Country Album - Platinum by Miranda Lambert
Best New Age Album - Winds Of Samsara by Ricky Kej &amp; Wouter Kellerman
Best Improvised Jazz Solo - Fingerprints by Chick Corea
Best Jazz Vocal Album - Beautiful Life by Dianne Reeves
Best Jazz Instrumental Album - Trilogy by Chick Corea Trio
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album - Life In The Bubble by Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
Best Latin Jazz Album - The Offense Of The Drum by Arturo O'Farrill &amp; The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Best Gospel Performance/Song - No Greater Love by Smokie Norful
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song - Messengers by Lecrae featuring For King &amp; Country
Best Gospel Album - Help by Erica Campbell
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album - Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong. by For King &amp; Country
Best Roots Gospel Album - Shine For All The People by Mike Farris
Best Latin Pop Album - Tangos by Rubén Blades
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album - Multiviral by Calle 13
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) - Mano A Mano - Tangos A La Manera De Vicente Fernandez by Vicente Fernandez
Best Tropical Latin Album - Mas + Corazon Profundo by Carlos Vives
Best American Roots Performance - A Feather's Not A Bird by Rosanne Cash
Best American Roots Song - A Feather's Not A Bird by Rosanne Cash
Best Americana Album - The River &amp; The Thread by Rosanne Cash
Best Bluegrass Album - The Earls Of Leicester by The Earls Of Leicester
Best Blues Album - Step Back by Johnny Winter
Best Folk Album - Remedy by Old Crow Medicine Show
Best Regional Roots Music Album - The Legacy by Jo-El Sonnier
Best Reggae Album - Fly Rasta by Ziggy Marley
Best World Music Album - Eve by Angelique Kidjo
Best Children's Album - I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World (Malala Yousafzai) by Neela Vaswani
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books &amp; Storytelling) - Diary Of A Mad Diva by Joan Rivers
Best Comedy Album - Mandatory Fun by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Best Musical Theater Album - Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Jessie Mueller, principal soloist; Jason Howland, Steve Sidwell &amp; Billy Jay Stein, producers; Carole King, composer &amp; lyricist; Original Broadway Cast)
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media - Frozen (Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Tom MacDougall &amp; Chris Montan, compilation producers)
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media - The Grand Budapest Hotel by Alexandre Desplat
Best Song Written For Visual Media - Let It Go by Kristen Anderson-Lopez &amp; Robert Lopez Best Instrumental Composition - The Book Thief by John Williams
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella - Daft Punk (Ben Bram, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado &amp; Kevin Olusola, arrangers; Pentatonix)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals - New York Tendaberry by Billy Childs, arranger (Billy Childs Featuring Renée Fleming &amp; Yo-Yo Ma)
Best Recording Package - Lightning Bolt by Pearl Jam Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package - The Rise &amp; Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917-27) by Susan Archie, Dean Blackwood &amp; Jack White, art directors (Various Artists)
Best Album Notes - Offering: Live At Temple University by Ashley Kahn, (John Coltrane)
Best Historical Album - The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 by Hank Williams
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical - Morning Phase by Beck Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical - Max Martin
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical - All Of Me (Tiesto's Birthday Treatment Remix) (Tijs Michiel Verwest, remixer (John Legend)
Best Surround Sound Album - Beyoncé (Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Beyoncé Knowles, surround producer (Beyoncé)
Best Engineered Album, Classical - Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem; Symphony No. 4; The Lark Ascending (Michael Bishop, engineer; Michael Bishop, mastering engineer (Robert Spano, Norman Mackenzie, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra &amp; Chorus)
Producer Of The Year, Classical - Judith Sherman
Best Orchestral Performance - Adams, John: City Noir by David Robertson, conductor (St. Louis Symphony)
Best Opera Recording - Charpentier: La Descente D'Orphee Aux Enfers by Paul O'Dette &amp; Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Aaron Sheehan; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble; Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble)
Best Choral Performance - The Sacred Spirit Of Russia by Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Conspirare)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance - In 27 Pieces - The Hilary Hahn Encores by Hilary Hahn &amp; Cory Smythe
Best Classical Instrumental Solo - Play by Jason Vieaux Best Classical Solo Vocal Album - Douce France by Anne Sofie Von Otter; Bengt Forsberg, accompanist (Carl Bagge, Margareta Bengston, Mats Bergström, Per Ekdahl, Bengan Janson, Olle Linder &amp; Antoine Tamestit)
Best Classical Compendium - Partch: Plectra &amp; Percussion Dances by Partch; John Schneider, producer
Best Contemporary Classical Composition - Adams, John Luther: Become Ocean by John Luther Adams, composer (Ludovic Morlot &amp; Seattle Symphony)
Best Music Video - Happy by Pharrell Williams
Best Music Film - 20 Feet From Stardom by Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer &amp; Judith Hill
Grammy Trustees Award - Richard Perry, George Wein, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil President's Merit Award - Martin Bandier
Lifetime Achievement Award - George Harrison, Bee Gees, Buddy Guy, Louvin Brothers, Wayne Shorter, Pierre Boulez and Flaco Jimenez.

British hip-hop star Example is joining Noel and Liam Gallagher, Paul Weller and Kasabian as the latest ambassador of a U.K. cancer charity for teens. The rapper, real name Elliot Gleave, has agreed to help promote and raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust, which The Who rocker Roger Daltrey founded in 2000.
Last year (12), the Stay Awake hitmaker performed at concerts held to benefit the organisation at London's Royal Albert Hall, and he admits he is looking forward to getting more involved with the trust.
Example says, "When Teenage Cancer Trust asked me to be an ambassador I was honoured. After meeting many of the young people at my Royal Albert Hall show and visiting five of the (hospital) units to see the work they do first hand, there was no way I could refuse.
"It's important to feel like an individual rather than a patient and to meet other young people who you can relate to, and Teenage Cancer Trust makes this happen."
To raise money for the charity, Example is auctioning the Versace jacket he wore to the Brit Awards last year (12) and an autographed pair of shoes via eBay.com.

Margaret Thatcher wasn't just the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the country's Iron Lady, she was also an inspiration for every nook and cranny of pop culture. From music to movies, to TV and even fashion, Thatcher's policies and beliefs were fruit for the artistic mind, especially during the late '80s and the years leading up to her resignation in 1990. Unfortunately for the former prime minister, those voices tended to skew liberal, and thus pop culture's relationship with the British politician was a rather testy one.
Despite her positive effects on history, including the promotion of feminism and women in power (and even the invention of soft serve ice cream, apparently), Thatcher took a beating from the music world. From Elvis Costello to Paul McCartney to Morissey, musicians took up lyrical arms against the leader. Even Billy Elliot includes some harsh words set to music by Elton John: "Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher/ We'll all celebrate today/ 'Cause it's one day closer to your death." But none spewed quite as much obvious hate as Pete Wylie's "The Day That Margaret Thatcher Dies" which boasts, "When Margaret Thatcher dies/ There will be no tears/ Save it for the people/ That she stomped for years."
In 2008, one theater company took the sentiments of Wylie's song to a new extreme. The Death of Margaret Thatcher depicted a series of characters reacting to the fictional death of the politician, including one man who is driven to tears at the news, but can't fathom why since his beliefs were against everything she stood for. Thatcher was very ill when the play ran in London and it stirred some controversy about where art ends and disrespect begins. Ultimately, the play continued and even won a nomination for the King's Cross Award for New Writing.
For those of us who were mere children when Thatcher ran England, experiencing the weight of protest music and the emotion behind plays like The Death of Margaret Thatcher takes a little more effort. Instead, we're left with what might be Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery's most memorable line — outside of "Yeah, baby!" and "I lost my Mojo." Surrounded by fembots hellbent on seducing him into submission, Powers uses Thatcher for anti-inspiration. And thus "Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day!" was born.
Thatcher received a rather complete depiction of her life from the time of her youth to her old age and the development of Alzheimer's Disease when Meryl Streep delivered an Oscar-winning performance in The Iron Lady. But despite the film's decided turn away from pop culture's rampant negativity about the former British leader, many critics were disappointed that the film failed to take a stance at all on Thatcher's reign. Still, being played by the great Meryl Streep has to count for something, doesn't it?
Television has had a generally less favorable relationship with the Iron Lady. She's been portrayed numerous times on Saturday Night Live, often played by men including Monty Python legend Michael Palin and John Lithgow. Johnny Carson used her famously sober demeanor to prank Joan Rivers into thinking she was being insulted by the leader (it turns out it was a Thatcher impersonator after all). But no one was more critical than the British comedian community, including the 1980s puppet sketch show Spitting Image, which hit her rather hard with a Mad Magazine-esque puppet singing "My Way" while the streets of London are beseiged by riots.
Of course, Thatcher famously got her own revenge when she used a famous Monty Python sketch to make her own point against the Liberal party during a 1990 speech to the Conservative party. She not only cleverly trotted out the famous "This is an ex-parrot" line from the beloved "Dead Parrot Sketch," but she playfully ended her speech with John Cleese's well-worn Python transition: "And now, for something completely different." Point, Thatcher.
If we take a closer look at Netflix's most recent gift to fans of great television, House of Cards, we can see that we have Thatcher to thank for its existence. Her resignation in 1990 inspired the British version of House of Cards about one man's ruthless scheming to replace the Iron Lady as prime minister. And, as we now know, that character inspired Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood on Netflix's American adaptation of the series, which is revolutionizing the way we watch television by presenting all its episodes at once. So, if you think about it, Thatcher (in an admittedly very small and completely indirect way) influenced the evolution of the television medium.
Not too shabby for a woman whose relationship with the performing arts has been, well, complicated.
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler
[Photo Credit: Wenn]
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The transformation of feature films into stage musicals is becoming more and more prevalent. The practice used to be restricted to Hollywood blockbusters, like The Lion King, Billy Elliot, or the unfortunate stage adaptation that would befall Stephen King's Carrie. But contemporary productions have drawn from movies with more specific audiences: Bring It On, Once, Elf, and Deadline's report of a new Pan's Labyrinth musical. Guillermo del Toro's dark fantasy does not necessarily seem like the most accessible material for a musical play, but the director has found within his 2006 picture a viable source of live entertainment. Del Toro has already constructed the story with filmmaker Jeremy Ungar, and has tasked established cinematic music men Paul Williams and Gustavo Santaolalla with taking on the lyrics and music, respectively.
As an independent artist, Williams has contributed a great deal of memorable songs: "We've Only Just Begun," and "Rainy Days and Mondays" (both performed by The Carpenters), "Old Fashioned Love Song" (performed by Three Dog Night), and "Fill Your Heart" (performed by David Bowie). But in the realm of cinema, Williams has crafted one timeless piece to stand out beyond all others — "Rainbow Connection," Kermit the Frog's classic banjo-accompanied number from the original Muppet Movie. Additionally, Williams both starred in and wrote music for Brian De Palma's 1974 horror-comedy Phantom of the Paradise.
Composer Santaolalla has had his hands in the scores for many esteemed pictures throughout the past decade, ranging The Motorcycle Diaries to Brokeback Mountain to Babel, and working specifically with del Toro on Amores Perros and Biutiful. The melding of Santaolalla's pretty and ominous harmonies with the sprightly lyrics of Williams will make for an interesting feast for the ears, perhaps the perfect recipe for a film like Pan's Labyrinth: fun and imaginative, yet wholly unnerving.
But thinking beyond the music, we must consider one of the greatest challenges a theatrical production will face: imitating the stellar, gripping imagery of Pan's Labyrinth. Some plays, most notably The Lion King, have succeeded in creating a new, exciting visual spectacle from their cinematic sources. Can Pan's, an aesthetic superpower, manage the same?
[Photo Credit: Picture House]
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The Japanese martial art of ninjutsu dates back around the turn of the seventh century A.D., encompassing the tactics of self-defense, espionage, and guerilla warfare. This strategic practice has, thanks to its lasting influence over international culture, maintained a stronghold of cultural significance in Western cinema. The character of the ninja is a timelessly fascinating, regally entrancing phenomenon. Beyond Medieval knights, high seas pirates, and intergalactic travelers are ninjas the most engrossing, beloved, and mysterious warriors in fact or fiction. But as rich and dense as the history of the ninja might be, it wasn't until the date of August 7, 1992, exactly twenty years ago today, that the identity of the Japanese spy and soldier really hit its potential in terms of relevance in the canon of American film. For on this date, the great Jon Turtletaub bequeathed unto the world his third directorial feature: 3 Ninjas.
A Brief History
If you grew up in the '90s, then the gravity of this film's impact need not be clarified to you. I was almost five when 3 Ninjas came out; my older sister was about ten. I remember our first viewing of the adventures of the Douglas brothers. She explained to me, as the boys rustled through their dresser drawers to hastily throw on their uniforms before they'd defend against invading criminals, that the change of clothes was necessary — my sister shot down my suggestion that the boys were hoping to shield their identities, but instead, simply needed to don their garb to effectively "become" the three ninjas.
And from then on, I understood. This wasn't simply a story about a trio of goofy siblings defying their disapproving dad for the sake of it. This was a tale of deciding what you wanted to be, and setting that decision into action. It was a story about challenging the forces set against you to become exactly what you always knew you were supposed to become. And while I never personally intended to be a ninja (although it was always enjoyable to play a few rounds of 3 Ninjas with my two best friends... I was always Tum Tum), the message still rang true. This is a movie with a timeless message.
But as positive an effect this film has had on me, and its many other fans, it seems to have had a particularly bizarre effect on its cast. Less than four years after 3 Ninjas hit theaters, each of the movie's young stars Michael Treanor (Rocky), Max Elliot Slade (Colt), and Chad Power (Tum Tum) were out of the business for good. The last acting credit attributed to Treanor was the film's 1995 threequel, 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up. For Slade, it was a '96 direct-to-video flick called The Sweeper (his last big screen appearance was in Apollo 13). And as for Power: he followed Knuckle Up with stints on ER and Step By Step in '95. None have been seen on screen since. Rumors and reports about the boys are numerous: Treanor works in finance in Washington D.C. and was considered for a part in a 2011 regeneration of his Rocky character; Slade plays guitar for a band called Haden. But in the true spirit of their ninja identities, these warriors have maintained a thick sheath of mystery over their whereabouts.
And while we have nothing but respect for their privacy and career choices, we'd still wish to extend this open letter to the stars of the 1992 classic 3 Ninjas in hopes of, perhaps, reuniting the family Douglas.
An Open Letter to the 3 NinjasDear Rocky, Colt, and Tum Tum,
We'd like to kick things off by extending our best wishes for whatever travels you are presently undertaking. It was twenty years ago today when you first came into our lives, and only three short years later when you left them for good. Vanishing, just as Grandpa Mori Shintaro might have taught you to. Sure, your roles were usurped in '98 for High Noon at Mega Mountain, but nobody really ever accepted Mathew Botuchis, Michael O'Laskey II, or James Paul Roeske II as your respective characters. Besides, that film was mostly just a showcase for Hulk Hogan anyhow. Hardly true Ninja fashion. Although I do love a good Jim Varney turn.
The point is, we miss you guys. Your '92 movie, silly as it was, was a great deal of fun. It's one of those rare kid's pictures that welcomes every young lad or lass to relate comfortably. For the romantics, there's Rocky, who loves Em-uh-lee. For the no nonsense, there's Colt. And for the goofballs, there's good ol' Tum Tum. Every group of three is comprised, to some degree, of this makeup. Your movie allowed for lovers, loners, and jokers to all envision themselves as heroes. Trust me, having inclusive movies like these does wonders for kids' self-esteem.
We understand that the spotlight is not for everybody. Perhaps your collective experiences as child actors on the Ninjas movies turned you off from a Hollywood career. Perhaps it was never your intention to get into showbiz in the first place, but your affinity for martial arts and unparalleled screen presences made for the opportunity of big screen starring roles that you just couldn't turn down. But we're more inclined to believe an alternative theory:
You're actually ninjas. In real life. And ever since the movies blew up, the three of you went undercover, forming a secret squad of defenders of justice (handling the cases that FBI Agents like Alan McRae can't handle), making the world a better, albeit snappier and chaotically-edited place.
As such, we appreciate your desire to avoid the public eye. But on the off chance you are not actually real-life ninjas and are, in fact, just three regular adult males, then we reach out to you. As the purveyors of a story that gave so many children not just entertainment, but genuine life lessons, hope, and a new investment in the idea that you can truly be whatever you want to be, we look to you. We want to hear from you. We want to know what we can do to further present these values to the children of today. And most of all, we want to encourage the possibility of a 3 Ninjas: 20 Years Later. A reteaming of brothers Sam, Jeffrey, and Michael to honor the memory of their grandfather, maintain a cautious rebellion against their skeptical dad, and uphold the ideals of justice, family, and dreaming big.
From not only everyone at Hollywood.com, but from everyone who was between five and fifteen on August 7 in 1992, we thank you for giving us this beloved movie. And we hope to see you kick back again, soon.[Photo Credit: Touchstone Pictures]
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The idea of bringing a singing show contestant's life to screen may conjure up horrible memories of From Justin to Kelly, but based the talent lined up for One Chance, the story of Britain's Got Talent breakout Paul Potts, reality TV may be a deeper well of drama than one might think. Speaking to Hollywood.com in an interview for his new movie Hope Springs (which hits theaters August 8), director David Frankel revealed his approach to turning the story of a mobile-phone-store-manager-turned-opera-singer to life, along with new casting that solidify the project as one to watch.
"I don't know if all the deals are set, but I can tell you that it's Julie Walters, Colm Meany, Mackenzie Crook and a lovely young actress who actually worked [with Meryl Streep]," says Frankel. "Well, they didn't work together because she actually played the young Maggie Thatcher in the Iron Lady. Alexandra Roach. I have a text [from Meryl]: 'Hire her!'"
The quartet join James Corden, set to take on the role of Potts. The actor most recently won the Tony for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his role in One Man, Two Guvnors.
"He can sing. I don't know if he can sing opera," says Frankel. "I don't know exactly how we're going to do the singing yet, we're still working on it. It's just a great Billy Elliot/Fully Monty-ish little British movie that will really surprise people by in its universal appeal."
Potts wowed Britain's Got Talent audiences in 2007 with a performance Puccini's famed aria "Nessun dorma." News of the tear-jerker rendition quickly went viral — to date, a video of his stirring number has been viewed 97.7 million times. Spinning that bite-sized drama into something longer and interesting may be Frankel's biggest task for Once Chance. "That challenge is the Apollo 13 challenge. It's the 'how' of it. Enjoying the journey with him. Really, what we're familiar in the YouTube clip is the last three minutes of the movie. It's everything up to that point."
Frankel is heading to Europe this week to begin pre-production on the film, with a potential for a 2013 release.
Watch the original clip from Britain's Got Talent below and check back this week for our full interview with director David Frankel.
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
[Photo Credit: WENN.com]
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Game of Thrones star Lena Headey has reportedly filed for divorce. People reveals that the actress who plays the villainous Cersei Lannister on the hit HBO series began the proceedings on a divorce from her husband Peter Paul Loughran, filing in L.A. Superior County Court on Friday, July 20.
Headey, 38, has been married to musician Loughran since 2007, but separated in 2011. The actress accredits her decision to irreconcilable differences. Reports are that Headey seeks to share custody of son Wylie Elliot Loughran, 2, with her husband.
Hollywood.com has reached out to Headey's representation for comment.
[Photo Credit: David Edwards/Daily Celeb]
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The Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games are always a reflection of the country hosting them. Two years ago in Vancouver, we got technological marvels and a peek into the First Nations people of Canada. Four years ago in Beijing, we got a billion dollar spectacle fueled by thousands of people beating on drums and operating those amazing boxes. You thought the ceremony was run by machines, but it was really run by China's largest resource: people. So, what can we expect from London? Something based not on the colonialism that overtook the globe last century, but something based on their most popular exports: music and culture. Yes, it appears as though both James Bond and Voldemort will be in attendance. God save the Queen.
Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle, who was tapped to direct the $42 million spectacle, and other organizers pleaded for participants to keep mum about just what is going to happen on Friday, July 27, at 9 PM (which airs in the U.S. on NBC starting at 7:30 PM). However, with countless actors, dancers, technicians, and nearly as many feverish journalists looking for a scoop, it seems like we know most of what is going to happen during the ceremony, if preliminary media accounts (especially a rather detailed one by the Associated Press) are to be believed.
If the journalists are right, the show will start off with chimes from the world's largest bell followed by a short film in which James Bond (played by Daniel Craig, but sadly not in his little blue bathing suit) will be knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. A stuntman playing Bond will either parachute or be lowered into the stadium carrying the Olympic torch. (It would be awesome if he passes it off to Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, and Sean Connery, but I'm not holding my shaken martini.) Then there will be a recitation of speech from Shakespeare's The Tempest (possibly by Kenneth Branagh) that talks about the show's theme, "Isle of Wonders."
There will also reportedly be a performance of the William Blake poem "Jerusalem," a well-known national song in the U.K. The performance will depict the idealistic idyll of the British countryside both past and present, including a mosh pit at one of their notorious music festivals. That will give way to depiction of the other side of England: the dark factories and mines. Reports of chimney sweeps and miners going into the stadium make it sound like an number out of Mary Poppins (just wait for her) or Billy Elliot: The Musical. There will supposedly be a huge set of the River Thames and scenes from British history, including the founding of the British national healthcare system (and with Michelle Obama in attendance, will this be a nod to Obamacare?) and the import of Caribbean workers to the isle.
It's been widely speculated that there will be a scene featuring many popular characters from British literature, which will culminate in a battle between Harry Potter villain Voldemort and the infamous supernanny Mary Poppins, who seems to have sprouted even more magical powers since we last saw her on film. Oh, the British do know how to make something campy and fun. In fact, I honestly believe they invented campy and fun. Not only should it be on full display, but the Brits should get a gold medal for camp as well.
The whole performance will reportedly conclude with Paul McCartney leading the crowd in a sing-along version of "Hey Jude," which will be easy for every human on earth with a radio and a pair of ears, even if they have no idea what the words exactly mean. In fact the entire musical set list (which will be remixed by the duo Underworld into a continuous track) was leaked to the press. This 80-plus song list, which is what will play mostly as the athletes from around the world are entering the stadium, includes British acts from Led Zeppelin to Handel, from Amy Winehouse to the theme for the BBC News, and includes many popular acts like David Bowie, Muse, Blur, Eric Clapton, The Who, Rolling Stones, Duran Duran, The Clash, and (a bit controversially) the Sex Pistols. Sadly, the Spice Girls aren't on the list, but I'm going to keep pretending that doesn't mean they're not going to "Zig a Zig Ah" their way onto the field.
As for the final part of the ceremony, when the Olympic cauldron is lit and the Queen declares the games open — well, that is just about the only thing that is being kept a secret. Celebrity soccer — oh, I'm sorry, football — star David Beckham has been hinting about his role in the ceremony, and will allegedly be the last person to bring the Olympic torch into the stadium, though not the one to light it. That honor usually goes to a past or present Olympian (Beckham was not tapped to play footie with the British team in competition this year). Some say Muhammad Ali, who lit the cauldron in 1996 at the Atlanta games, will be involved somehow, since he's been in London with Beckham, but that seems unlikely since the boxing legend is an American. Maybe they're going to let "the colonies" get in on the action.
We'll have to wait until Friday to find out who it really is (wouldn't it be great if for no good reason it was Graham Norton or Russel Brand or Danger Mouse?) but maybe it's better that at least one thing should be a surprise.
Follow Brian Moylan on Twitter @BrianJMoylan
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While recent animated blockbusters have aimed to viewers of all ages starting with fantastical concepts and breathtaking visuals but tackling complex emotional issues along the way Ice Age: Continental Drift is crafted especially for the wee ones — and it works. Venturing back to prehistoric times once again the fourth Ice Age film paints broad strokes on the theme of familial relationships throwing in plenty of physical comedy along the way. The movie isn't that far off from one of the many Land Before Time direct-to-video sequels: not particularly innovative or necessary but harmless thrilling fun for anyone with a sense of humor. Unless they have a particular distaste for wooly mammoths the kids will love it.
Ice Age: Continental Drift continues to snowball its cartoon roster bringing back the original film's trio (Ray Romano as Manny the Mammoth Denis Leary as Diego the Sabertooth Tiger and John Leguizamo as Sid the Sloth) new faces acquired over the course of the franchise (Queen Latifah as Manny's wife Ellie) and a handful of new characters to spice things up everyone from Nicki Minaj as Manny's daughter Steffie to Wanda Sykes as Sid's wily grandma. The whole gang is living a pleasant existence as a herd with Manny's biggest problem being playing overbearing dad to the rebellious daughter. Teen mammoths they always want to go out and play by the waterfall! Whippersnappers.
The main thrust of the film comes when Scratch the Rat (whose silent comedy routines in the vein of Tex Avery/WB cartoons continue to be the series highlight) accidentally cracks the singular continent Pangea into the world we know today. Manny Diego and Sid find themselves stranded on an iceberg once again forced on a road trip journey of survival. The rest of the herd embarks to meet them giving Steffie time to realize the true meaning of friendship with help from her mole pal Louis (Josh Gad).
The ham-handed lessons may drag for those who've passed Kindergarten but Ice Age: Continental Drift is a lot of fun when the main gang crosses paths with a group of villainous pirates. (Back then monkeys rabbits and seals were hitting the high seas together pillaging via boat-shaped icebergs. Obviously.) Quickly Ice Age becomes an old school pirate adventure complete with maritime navigation buried treasure and sword fights. Gut (Peter Dinklage) an evil ape with a deadly... fingernail leads the evil-doers who pose an entertaining threat for the familiar bunch. Jennifer Lopez pops by as Gut's second-in-command Shira the White Tiger and the film's two cats have a chase scene that should rouse even the most apathetic adults. Hearing Dinklage (of Game of Thrones fame) belt out a pirate shanty may be worth the price of admission alone.
With solid action (that doesn't need the 3D addition) cartoony animation and gags out the wazoo Ice Age: Continental Drift is entertainment to enjoy with the whole family. Revelatory? Not quite. Until we get a feature length silent film of Scratch's acorn pursuit we may never see a "classic" Ice Age film but Continental Drift keeps it together long enough to tell a simple story with delightful flare that should hold attention spans of any length. Massive amounts of sugar not even required.
[Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox]